Addicted To LoveRobert Palmer
Sharp-suited Robert Palmer became known as Britain's blue-eyed soul singer, though album Riptide oozed sex much more than soul, and Addicted To Love was the most overt seduction of them all. It is less of a pop song and more of an ode to infatuation.

Song facts

Composer

Robert Palmer

Genre

Rock

Album

Riptide

Year of Release

1986

The track underscores Palmer's persona as a bit of a cad. A modern day Casanova whispering the song into your ear. Although you'd be forgiven for thinking "Your heart sweats, your body shakes, Another kiss is what it takes" was lifted straight from a bodice-ripping novel.

A strong beat punctuates the words and almost hypnotises the listener, luring them into the circle of love-it-hate-it that is addiction.

Palmer was branded a chauvinist for the video that accompanied the song but, sexist or not, it helped put Robert Palmer on the map on both sides of the Atlantic. In fact, the imagery was Terence Donovan's idea and it turned out to be one of the most iconic videos of the decade. Casting vacant women in tight, black dresses to strut rhythmically alongside Palmer, he exposes the absurdity of obsession in their resemblance to mannequins.

Palmer was best known for Addicted To Love and similar songs from Riptide, but he was really a musical maverick who turned to a variety of influences for his writing. The success of his work in the '80s became something of a millstone around his neck. He never really shrugged off the tag of shallow impressario but, the irony is, Robert Palmer was probably one of the most thoughtful and intelligent musicians of his generation.

Susan McFarland

Interview with Robert Palmer, Sep 2003

Robert tells Stuart Maconie how the video of the hot girls in the bright red lipstick came about.